Back to Top

  1. Home
  2. Press Releases

PRESS RELEASES

SOURCE: Press and Public Affairs Bureau

House leader urges Senate to heed people’s clamor for Charter amendments
06 March 2023 05:32:44 PM


At least 300 or more than 95 percent of the 314 members of the House of Representatives are supporting Resolution of Both Houses No. 6, which urges Congress to call for a constitutional convention (Con-con) that would propose amendments to the Constitution’s economic provisions.

“I understand there are about 300 members of the House who’ve already signified their intention as co-authors of this measure, RBH No. 6. Certainly when you have that kind of sponsors, then we expect the same kind of votes when it will be called on 3rd reading, nominal voting,” Cagayan de Oro City Rep. Rufus Rodriguez said.

Rodriguez, who chairs the committee on constitutional amendments that endorsed the joint resolution, made the statement hours before the House was scheduled to vote on the measure.

He said the huge number of support for the resolution clearly shows that “the representatives of the people by district and party-list are really following their constituents, who are overwhelmingly supporting the call for a constitutional convention.”

He said such widespread support should prompt the Senate to keep an open mind on the charter amendment initiative of the House.

“So I hope our colleagues in the Senate will see the overwhelming support of the people, and the representatives of the people, that we are for constitutional convention. And I hope the Senate will be, you know, open-minded, as far as discussing this particular resolution which will be sent to them after the voting,” he said.

He added that an accompanying implementing bill would also be transmitted to the Senate.

“So both the Resolution of Both Houses and the implementing bill will have about 300, or mga 95 percent already of Congress. This will therefore mean that, I hope the Senate will heed the mandate and the call of the House of Representatives who are also representatives of their own people in their districts,” Rodriguez stressed.

Speaker Romualdez said the House aims to limit its Charter amendments to the “restrictive” economic provisions of the basic law “in the hope that the changes would pave the way for the country to attract more foreign investments.”

“We need additional investments that would create more jobs and income opportunities for our people. We need increased capital to sustain our economic growth momentum,” he said.

He reiterated that investment reform by way of tweaking the Constitution’s economic provisions could be the “final piece in the puzzle” in improving the country’s investment environment and sustaining the country’s economic growth.(END)

 
SEARCH PRESS RELEASES